On September 28 Beijing time, the WTT China Grand Slam continued. Miwa Harimoto, the 17-year-old Olympic team silver medalist from Japan, made her appearance in the first round against Han Ying, the 42-year-old Olympic team silver medalist from Germany. After four hard-fought games, Harimoto won 3–1, giving Japan’s women’s singles their first victory of the tournament. Detailed match report below.
【Match Highlights】
Miwa Harimoto, born in 2008, is currently ranked No. 6 in the world, standing as the highest-ranked women’s singles player outside the Chinese Table Tennis Team. Han Ying, born in 1983, is currently ranked No. 26, and she once reached the world’s top 10. However, in recent years she has frequently missed international competitions due to injuries. Last year, she nearly retired after suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon, which caused a significant drop in her ranking points.
Previously, the two players had only faced each other once in international competition, with Han Ying claiming the victory. But that was already three years ago. In the past three years, Miwa Harimoto has improved rapidly, and now, meeting again, Han Ying faced a stern test.
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【Match Process】
At the start of the match, the first game was tightly contested. Since it had been a long time since they last played against each other, and both players had gone through considerable changes in form, both needed time to adjust. This situation was originally more favorable for Han Ying with her defensive chopping style. However, Miwa Harimoto seized her chances to launch attacks first, and ultimately took the opening game 11–8.
In the second game, Han Ying mounted a full-scale counterattack. Harimoto committed multiple errors on court, and the situation swung back in favor of the veteran. This time, the young Japanese player lost 5–11, allowing Han Ying to level the match at one game apiece.
In the third game, Harimoto once again increased her attacking pressure against the veteran’s defenses and almost completely dictated the pace of the rally. In the end, she conceded only 3 points to Han Ying, taking the game with ease, and moved ahead 2–1 overall, with victory in sight.
The fourth game remained fiercely competitive. Han Ying built an early lead but was caught at 5–5. After calling a timeout, she surged ahead once again, but Harimoto showed tenacity, fighting back to tie the score 9–9. At the crucial moment, a lucky net ball disrupted Han Ying’s rhythm, allowing Harimoto to move ahead 10–9 to hold match point. She did not give her opponent another chance, sealing the win 11–9. With this, Miwa Harimoto defeated Han Ying and advanced to the Round of 32 in women’s singles.
